Shy, bookish, and admittedly awkward, Lily Greene has always felt inadequate compared to the rest of her accomplished family, who strive for Black excellence. She dreams of becoming a children's book editor, but she's been frustratingly stuck in the nonfiction division for years without a promotion in sight.

Lily finds escapism in her correspondences with her favorite fantasy author, and what begins as two lonely people connecting over email turns into a tentative friendship and possibly something else Lily won't let herself entertain - until he ghosts her without a word.

Months later, Lily is still crushed, but she's determined to get a hold of her life, starting with finding a date to her sister's wedding. And the perfect person to help her is Nick Brown, her charming, attractive new neighbor, who she feels drawn to for reasons she can't explain. But little does she know, Nick is an author - her favorite fantasy author. Nick, who has his reasons for using a pen name and pushing people away…

By Kristina Forest